Float for autotrucks.



Wl I. NEWMAN.

FLOAT Foa AuToTRuc'Ks.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 25, |918.

Patented Dea 31, 1918.

ole

enit n u o o m4 :im In: o111 Ina =I11 II I1 0 a -1 9 2 o 0 o o 1 0 0 0 u o a a o o a n 6 0 U 0 O 0 a a u u n 6 Q 0 u 9 B0 C 0 G 0 una ITE sTATEs PATENT FFI@ 'l WILLIAM J'. NEWMAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FLOAT FOR AUTOTRUCKS.

4trucks for excavating basements or cellars and transferring the excavated material to dumps. Of course, therev is no permanent roadway in such basement, and there is usually more or less dist-ance from the roadway to Ithe dump which cannot be traversed by the trucks under ordinary conditions. In order to provide a roadway for such trucks under the conditions mentioned, or'

wherever there is soft or bad ground, I provide floats which comprise vthe present invention.

The objects of this invention are to provide floats or devices which may be utilized for building temporary roadways for auto trucks; to provide floats or devices which may be readily moved, preferably by two men; to provide floats or devices for making temporary roadways which may be reversed so that either side can be used; and in general to provide the improved temporary roadway or track construction which will he heavyloads passing thereover, but which are preferably made of convenient size so that they can be readily handled by two men. These floats are usually placed in alinement in two rows which are spaced so that the centers of the oats will correspond with the tread of the trucks.

Specicationof Letters Patent.

-siderable length of time.

Patentei'ioee. 31, i918.

I Application filed April 25, 1918. Serial No. 230,670.

As shown in the drawings, 4 represents a float made 1 n accordance with my invention. This 'float is constructed of a number of transverse planks or boards 5 forming' the top thereof, and longitudinal boards 6' forming the bottom thereof. In the floats which I use, the upper members are usually made of 2X8 planks and the lower'members are made of 3.X10 planks. These mem-- bers, are securely bolted together by bolts 7 or otherwise fastened together by rivets or any other well known means so as to make a solid and substantial platform.

These 'floats may be provided with any suitable handles for convenience in carrying the same, Ibut I prefer to insert or fasten rods 8 in the ends, as shown in Fig. 3, and

cut away the end m'emlbers to form recesses 9 sov that the workmen may grasp the rods 8 or may use hand-hooks 10 for lifting the same.

It will be noted that these recesses are relatively small and will. not interfere with the truck wheels passing over the floats. The rods 8, being located in -a central plane, are in position to be engaged when the float has either side up.

These floats are usually made about three feet wide and three ,or four feet long and are arranged in row-s, as shownin Fig. 2, to make a track or roadway for the trucks.

It will be readily seen that the adjacent members may be tied-or fastened together, but in vactual lpractice I have found that this is unnecessary as the trucks tend to press the floats together. It will lbe noted that the transverse, planks form excellent surfaces for the truck wheels, and, on account of the rigid construction, these will last for a conmembers have become worn, the floats may be reversed and the'bottom niemlbers used for the surface of the roadway, in which case they are preferably turned so that the planks will lie transversely of the roadway.

The use of these floats will be apparent to those familiar with heavy trucking work. I have found them exceedingly useful in bridging soft spotsin the road and in making temporary roadways in various places where heavy trucks could not otherwise be used. After the floats have served their purpose in one location, they may be readily After the top Q Laeaeeo carried by two men and transferred to other locations or loaded to be carried for use in other places.

lt will be observed that changes may be made in the details of construction of these floats without departing from the scope of this invention, and therefore, l do not wish to be limited tothe exact construction herein shown and described, except as specified in the following claims, in which l claim:

l. A float for forming a roadway for auto trucks, comprising a series of transverse vmembers superimposed on a series of longitudinal members and secured thereto to form an unyielding support, the ends of said oat havingjrecesses formed therein, and bars inserted in said recesses.

2. A ioat of the character set forth comprising a plurality of upper and lower timbers secured together to form an unyielding rectangular support, and handles for lifting `said support.

3. A .temporary roadway for auto trucks comprising a plurality of floats, each float consisting of a series of transverse and longitudinal timibers 'secured together to form rectangular supporting units,l with handles at each end thereof.

a. A iioat for auto trucks comprising a series of transverse planks arranged adjacent to each other, and superimposed on a series of longitudinal planks arranged adjacent to each other, and means for fastening the planks together to form a uni-tary structure of such dimensions as to be readily carried by two men.

WLLIAM J. NEW/IAN. 

